Arathel
by Flyne
Summary: This is not a fic about Harry Potter, the person. It is a story about a student who comes to Hogwarts, and her adventures there. Voldermort is NOT involved. Please read and review (Thoughts, please!).
1. Intro

**Introduction**

Notes: Ok, another story. Anyone who read my last one, sorry I stopped. Email me if you want more, and I will take a break from this one, and put up a new chapter. This fic is not about Harry Potter, the person. It will make no reference to the students, but most of the teachers will still be there. (Though some may leave later on.) There will be some characters that may seem to be like the students in the books, or in reality. Almost all of this is unintentional. Also, I do not own Harry Potter, or the content. Enjoy!

* * *

Arathel Artemis Telvana. An ordinary child of 11 years, she was only special in the way that anyone is. She had her own hidden talents, her own likes, and most importantly, her own personality. Her parents were also quite ordinary, with her father being an accountant and her mother working at home. She also had one 8 year old younger brother, named Farith Telvana. They had a fair sized home, with a kitchen, a room for Arathel, a room for Farith, and a room that her parents shared. They did not own any pets. Arathel, who preferred to be called Ara, went to a public elementary school and was planning to attend a public middle school. She had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. She loved making music, but didn't like to sing and couldn't find an instrument that she liked. She was also excellent at puzzles. But one day her life turned upside-down. 


	2. A New World

A New World

It started with a letter. Just an innocent little letter, sitting in the mailbox. The only thing about it that was unusual was that it had an old fashioned wax seal on the back. The seal had four animals surrounding a letter _H_ on the back. The emerald ink on the front came as no surprise to her, as all of her friends wrote in odd colors. Nor did the parchment surprise her, as she assumed that it was merely construction paper. But when she opened it, she was truly surprised. She began to read.

Hogwarts School

of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore  
(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Ms. Telvana,  
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted  
at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please  
find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.  
Term begins on September 1. We await your owl no  
later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,  
Minerva McGonagall  
_Deputy Headmistress_

At first, she thought it was some kind of joke. She turned it over, but found nothing telling her that it was false. Then her mind went into the mode it always does when she reads something, even if she thinks that it is a joke. She analyzed every line. Witchcraft and Wizardry, so this place was some kind of magic school. She had heard of Merlin, but never the order of Merlin. And what on earth was a Mugwump? They knew her name, but they could've just looked it up somewhere. And how was she supposed to send an owl? Her friend had one, but it could barely fly itself, much less a letter. And "Witchcraft'. Did that mean they thought she could perform magic? She almost laughed at the absurdity of it. She didn't even notice a list that fell out as she put it down. Eventually she decided that she would think about it for the rest of the day, and maybe have figured out what to do by the morning.

But she never got the chance. About an hour after she read the letter, just before dinner, a live owl swooped into her bedroom window. It dropped a letter on her bed and was gone before she had time to react. When shed got over the shock, she picked it up and read:

Dear Ms. Telvana,  
It has come to our attention that you may not fullyunderstand the  
letter that you recently received. You may send a letter by your normal  
method, addressed to Hogwarts, and it will find us. To obtain your  
supplies, you may visit a shop in London called "The Leaky Cauldron".  
Alternatively, you may wish to locate a wizarding family in your area  
and ask them for help. The Seleth family lives near you. Also, a boy at  
your school, David Hether, will be starting Hogwarts this year as the first  
wizard or witch in his family. And remember to obtain all the materials on your list.

She read it through twice before the important things got through her head. "The Seleths are _wizards!_ And David is going to attend Hogwarts too?!" She decided that she would sleep on it, and wait until her parents returned in the morning.

When morning came, she went into the kitchen to discover that her parents had returned, but left already. They left a note reminding her that her summer school was out for the day, and saying that she could visit her friends if she wanted. That was fine with her. She would go to the Seleths and ask them all the questions that were bursting in her head. If nothing else, they would be able to confirm that it was just a hoax.

When she arrived, she knocked on the door and waited. After just a minute, Mr. Seleth answered.

"Ah, it's you! Come in, come in. I assume this is about your letter?"

"Yes! But how did you know?"

"You're forgetting that I am a wizard."

"Oh yeah. That is what I came to ask you about."

"Yes, I know. But come in, don't just stand there on the doorstep forever!"

She followed him inside. After asking all the questions she had, such as why the muggles didn't see the Leaky Cauldron, she finally asked the question that she had been bursting to ask ever since she got the first letter.

"Can you show me some magic?"

"Of course! What do you want to see?"

"I've been thinking about this for a while. Can you teleport me somewhere?"

"That is hard, but I will try. Where to?"

"The top of an Egyptian pyramid. And make sure you bring me back, too!"

"Ok. Hmm…"

He sat there thinking for a minute, then his face cleared, and he mumbled something that Ara could barley hear, and suddenly, she was there. She could feel the hot winds blasting sand in her face. She could also see for miles and miles, with majestic pyramids dotting the landscape. The tallest one was obviously the one she was standing on. She could even feel the heat of the rocks through her shoes. After a minute, she was back in Mr. Seleth's house, sitting in a stunned silence. Mr. Seleth smiled.

"Is that enough proof for you?"

"Yes. Yes it is."

* * *

A/N: Thank you to peppypirate, for being my first reviewer! I might add a bit ofromance later on. She has to actually get to the school first, though.Please review! 


	3. Two New Friends

Two New Friends

Arathel sat in her house in a stunned silence for a long time. She was thinking, but her thoughts were chasing themselves around in circles. First she thought that she had just received the ultimate proof that magic existed, but then she thought that no, magic couldn't exist! That went against all logic. Then she went back to thinking that she had just received proof that it did exist. Finally this useless process was interrupted when her parents came home.

"Hello, honey! Were you ok? Did you find something to amuse yourself with?"

"Mom, Dad, I just got this letter that I want to talk to you about. An owl dropped it off."

"A _what!?_"

"An owl, Mom. I need to talk to you. Calmly, preferably."

"An owl, you say? Yes, I think I know what this might be." Ara's Dad was looking very excited.

"What, Dad? What do you think it is?" Ara was excited to, because her dad would know what to do.

"Was it from a place called Hogwarts?"

"Yes!"

"Ok. My cousin once got a letter from there. She came back a long time latter, and could all sorts of things with this little wooden wand. I was only 13 years old when she came back,but by then I thought it was a joke. But when she left, I believed it with all my heart. Maybe… Just maybe, it wasn't a joke. Maybe there really is magic in the world. Can I see the letter?"

In answer, Ara ran off to her room. There she noticed the parchment on the floor. She picked it up, but it was just a list of some kind. She tucked it into the pocket of her blue jacket, picked up the letters, and dashed back out of her room.

"Hmm… ok. Did you go talk to Mr. Seleth?"

"Yeah. He teleported me to the top of one of the Egyptian pyramids!"

"Were you all right, honey? Was it windy? Did you trip?" Apparently Ara's mother was upset about being left out of the conversation.

"Yes, mother. I'm fine."

"Well, I think you should wait until tomorrow, and maybe talk to this David Hether. Personally, I think you should go, if only to find out if it really is a hoax."

"Ok."

When she finally got to school the next day, she was almost giddy with excitement. She rushed around the campus until she ran into someone who had apparently been doing exactly the same thing as her. After apologizing and helping him up, she finally recognized him.

"David! I was looking for you!"

"I was looking for you too! Is it about…" He lowered his voice "The letter?"

"Yup! So… Are you going to go?"

"Of course! You?"

"Uh-huh. "

Ara wanted to ask so many more questions, but then the beginning-of-class bell rang. Dang! She knew that she wouldn't see David again until tomorrow. He had only a half-day of classes, and she had a full day. Darn him. She only knew him because she was in his class for a few weeks before she decided she would switch. Ah well. Onwards to another day of boredom.

_A Few Days Later_

Lying in bed, Arathel was thinking of the day to come. She was still astonished that she was a witch. She was just beginning to accept that she would be laving her school and friends. She would miss the end of the school day so that she could take the train into London with David, seeing the wizarding community for the first time. Figuring out how to get into Diagon Alley, and where to find her supplies, would be the biggest challenge. Mr. Seleth would have been the first person that she asked, but unfortunately his entire family would be taking a trip for the week. Hopefully she would be able to find a friendly witch or wizard to aid her. She was not particularly shy by nature, but nor was she very open. Maybe she would watch and see what others did. Ah well. There was no point staying there thinking anymore, she supposed. Time to face the day. And with that thought, she (finally) got out of bed.

It had not been a very interesting day at school. She had actually seen David during morning recess, but they had not been able to talk because they were surrounded by non-magical people. Muggles, Mr. Seleth had called them. Unfortunately she had forgotten to do her homework, preoccupied as she was, and had had to stay in during what would normally have been her lunch break but what was today when she was supposed to go home. That had caused her to miss the bus, which was why she was walking home through the forest. She began to hear a noise. It sounded like a dying old bird, but she couldn't say for sure. After she had walked towards it for a few seconds, it stopped. Pausing uneasily, she looked around, and saw a sudden burst of flame. It surprised her so much that she almost fled right then, but instead she cautiously crept towards it. She finally came upon a still-hot pile of coals. As she watched, a tiny red-gold bird poked its head out and squawked. She stared, wondering how it had survived the flame, and also where the dying bird that she had heard had gone. Still, she would not leave the baby unprotected. After looking around for a few minutes and not seeing a parent or a nest, she decided to take it home. She knew her parents wouldn't mind, as she had often raised young animals. Many of her friends had pets because of Ara's generosity. She would name it, but later. For now, she rushed home, cradling her precious new friend.

* * *

Ok, sorry I haven't updated in a long time. A lot of stuff's been happening. I was gone for Christmas, and I have been busy with my soccer team and such.

Anywyas, this story is dedicated to the late Mr. Heroux, 1973- 2004. Rest In Peace, Mr. Heroux.


	4. Diagon Alley

Diagon Alley

Arathel was lying on her bed, going through the various letters from Hogwarts on her bed (She always replaced them into their original envelopes), when she noticed another scrap of paper in one. It was headed: Directions to Diagon Alley. There was nothing unusual, except for the last few lines.

At the corner of Main Street and Fourth Avenue, enter the Leaky Cauldron. Ask the bartender, or any other person there, if they will help you. Tell them that you are new to Hogwarts this year, and need to get into Diagon Alley. Follow them through to the empt lot, and enter Diagon Alley. Note that you should bring some currency to change at Gringott's bank. One to six hundred dollars will suffice, depending on how extravagant you wish to be.

Well, that was good. She hadn't even thought of how she was going to get supplies. Ara ran out to get her dad.

"Hey! Dad! I need a ride into London sometime to get my supplies for school."

"Why can't we just go into… Oh. Right. Sure! Do you have directions?"

"Yup! I just found them."

"Good. I will drive you over on Saturday."

Today was Thursday, so Arathel wouldn't have long to wait.

At school the next day, Ara was frantic with excitement. She was running around and thinking about getting to see the wizarding community for the first time. By lunch time she was getting tired from running around like a madwomen, so she decided to sit down and actually eat something. The only table with room had just one person sitting at it. As she got closer, she saw that that person sitting there was David! She went over and sat down.

"Hi David!"

"Hmm? Oh, it's you. Hello."

"Have you gotten your supplies for Hogwarts yet?"

"No, I am going to get them on Saturday."

"Me too! Maybe we will see each other."

"Mmph."

David had just taken a bite, and the grunt sounded so comical that Arathel couldn't help but laugh. She took a bite too.

"How much money are you bringing?"

"Mmph." Now it was Ara's turn to grunt. David laughed.

"I am bringing 450. I figure that will be good, and maybe I will have some left over."

"Yeah. I think I'll probably bring 500."

"Well, maybe I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye."

On Saturday, Arathel had gotten up at six o'clock. She went out into the dining room of their house, and discovered that she was the last one to get up!

"Hello Ara! A little tired, are we?"

"It is six o'clock! What did you expect?"

"We have to get into London pretty soon, or else you will not have a full day of shopping."

"Fine."

Two hours later, Ara was finally at the Leaky Cauldron. Her parents had given her 500 dollars to spend as she saw fit, and she still had the list of supplies.

"Let's go!"

"Go where? There is nothing here but an empty lot!"

"I don't see any empty lot! There's a bookstore, sure, but the Leaky Cauldron is right there!"

Farith cut in. "Yeah Mom! Right there! Can't you see it?"

"You both are crazy."

"Oh! Mom, I think maybe only wizards can see it."

"Then how can Farith see it?"

"I don't know! Maybe he is a wizard too?"

"Whatever. Ara, you can go by yourself. We will be around London while you are shopping. We will pick you up at 3:00."

Ara glanced at her watch. "Five hours? That should be enough. Well, see you later, then!"

Arathel walked into the Leaky Cauldron. Looking around, she saw an odd assortment of people. Choosing the nicest looking one, Ara walked up to her and asked "Excuse me? Can you help me get…"

"Get into Diagon Alley? Sure. Follow me." The woman set her glass down and threaded her way through the crowds to a balk door. After they were both through, the women took out a thin stick of wood.

"But there isn't anything here!"

"Watch."

Then the women began tapping bricks in a strange pattern. After she stopped, bricks began sliding away to reveal a whole street, hidden away.

"Wow. Thank you!"

"Anytime." And with that the women walked back into the pub. Ara looked around. She saw a group of people, about her age, all staring at the various stores. When she looked harder, she noticed that David was one of them. Running over to him, she said hello.

"Hello. This is a really awesome place, isn't it?"

"Yup. Do you know where Gringotts is?"

"Straight ahead. It is that giant white building over there."

"Thanks."

She ran over to Gringotts. Slowing as she walked up the last couple of feet, she carefully opened the huge marble doors. She was stunned as she looked around, taking in all the amazing things. Odd, goblin like creatures were acting as bank tellers, and the giant domed ceiling looked as though it was held up by magic… Though, she thought, it probably was. Eventually, Ara walked over to one of the goblins that didn't have anyone standing by him.

"Name." She was caught off-guard by the things rasping voice, but she replied:

"Um... Arathel Artemis Telvana."

"We don't have an account for you. Would you like to open one?"

"Uhh… Yes, I suppose."

"Would you like to deposit any money into your account?"

"No. I just need some changed."

"Fine. Here is your key. Don't loose it. Where is the currency you wish to be changed?"

"Here."

"That comes to… 53 Galleons, 7 Sickles, and 21 Knuts. Thank you for your business."

And with that, he shoved a pile of gold, silver, and bronze into a rather surprised Arathel's hands. She took the money and put it into her pack, with the odd key he gave her. She had brought a large one to carry all of her supplies. Once outside, she found a deserted corner and consulted her list. Looking around, she thought to herself: "Robes… Where can I find some robes?" She spotted a likely store. "Madam Malkin's Robes For All Occasions. That looks promising. Now, books and a wand and some other stuff. I'm gonna go with getting my wand first."

Hours later, Arathel had gotten all of her supplies. She had ended up with a 11 inch maple wand, with a phoenix feather heart. Whatever _that _meant. Also, she had the rest of her supplies, including dragon hide gloves and a very impressive telescope. Her pack was bulging with all of her stuff. She still had a fair few galleons left. Glancing at her watch, she finally noticed that her time in the alley was almost over! Slinging her pack over one arm, Ara ran back to the entrance to the alley. After she passed through the brick gate, she happened to glance back. All she saw was the same, innocent brick wall. Going back into the Leaky Cauldron, she slowed her frantic pace, but only slightly. She burst back out into sunlight and looked around for her family. They weren't there! Again, she looked at her watch. Her family was supposed to have arrived five minutes ago! Ara decided to go into the bookstore to wait. She bumped into someone at the door. Glancing at him, she noticed that it was her brother! Laughing, she ran to catch up with him.

"Hello, Farith! Looking for someone?"

"What? Oh, Ara! Hello! I was just…"

"Coming to get me? Yeah, I figured. Where are Mom and Dad?"

"Still sitting inside, reading. They haven't even realized that they are supposed to pick you up. Honestly, you let them loose in a bookstore, and…"

"Yeah. Go get them, would you?"

"Sure. You can drop your stuff in the car. We haven't moved it yet."

A couple of minutes later, Arathel's parents came out, pushing a shopping cart full of books.

"Sure you got enough?"

"No."

"Ha ha, very funny. Can we go home now?"

* * *

If people are mad because I left out the shopping, I am sorry. I just figured this needed an update. I might put it in, sometime. Check my profile everyso often. The news will say if I changed it.I will do it sooner if people ask. 


	5. The Hogwarts Express

**The Hogwarts Express**

Disclamer: I do not own Harry Potter. Did you really think I did?

* * *

Ara came home to discover another letter from Hogwarts on her doorstep. She picked it up, still cradling her new-found bird. Then she dashed into the house, yelled "I'm home!" and sped into her room to open the letter. She was about to rip the letter open when she realized that the bird she had found should be put somewhere other than in her arms. "Ok, little fellow, let's see if I can find you a cage." After a minute of rummaging around in her closet, she came up holding an elaborate but not overly large cage. It was about a foot and a half tall and a single foot in diameter. "Perfect." She reached down to pick up the bird, but it wasn't there! After repeatedly calling it and searching around the room, she turned around to shut the cage and saw that the bird had already flown in by itself! Laughing, she shut and locked the cage. She was already walking over to the bookcase when she remembered the letter sitting on the bed. After ripping it open, she began to read.

Dear Arathel Telvana,

Here is your ticket to the Hogwarts Express. The Hogwarts Express will leave from Platform9¾ atexactly11:00 AM. Please do not be late. If you have any questions, please write to Hogwarts and send the letter via Muggle post.

Sincerely,

The Hogwarts staff

She looked at the tickets that had fallen onto her bed. Wow, she thought, these look exactly like Muggle tickets. "Do I have any questions to ask Hogwarts? Hm… Oh yes! I need to ask them about the bird I found! I hope they let me take him. But I don't even know what species he is! I guess I'll just send a picture." Taking a Polaroid camera off of the stool by her bed, she opened the cage door and positioned the camera. Then she proceeded to snap shot after shot of her precious bird. After they had all developed, she choose the best shot and enclosed it in an envelope with a note asking if she could bring it. Then she finally grabbed her new letter and ran out into the living room of her house.

"Hello, Mom and Dad!" Can you mail this letter for me?"

"Sure, honey." By now they were used to most of the weirdness that their daughter displayed.

"Thanks. By the way, can you drop me off at King's Cross station when I need to go to Hogwarts? That is where the Hogwarts Express leaves from."

"Sure, honey."

A few weeks later, Arathel was finally at King's Cross. She had received a letter from Hogwarts saying that normally, no other animals than toads, owls, and cats were allowed, but her case was an exception. She was wondering _why_ it was an exception, but she wasn't going to complain. After all, it meant that she could take her bird to school. She had decided to put off naming it until she had discovered what species it was. But now, to business. Where was this Platform 9¾? All she could see was platform 9, then platform 10. She looked around, and eventually spotted another person carrying a birdcage. Figuring that they were almost undoubtedly a wizard, she slowly walked over to them.

"Excuse me?"

"Hmm? Oh, hello. Do you need help, dear?"

"I was wondering if you could tell me how to get to Platform 9 ¾?"

"Yes, dear. Just watch my son over there"

Ara turned to look. A boy with black hair was walking straight at a pillar. Just as Ara was about to yell, she saw him disappear into it!

"Wow. So all I have to do is walk into it?"

"Yes. Try it, dear."

"Ok. Thanks!"

Ara gathered her stuff and slowly walked at the pillar. She repressed her reflex to turn, and went right through. Looking around, she saw a large train and a sign that said: Platform 9 ¾ Hogwarts Express shall be departing at 11:00! Looking at her watch, Ara saw that that gave her a little over 20 minutes. She decided to get on the train now.

"Hello young miss! Do you have your tickets?" said the conductor.

"Yes, sir. Here."

"Thank you. You may board now, if you wish."

"Thank you, sir."

Arathel boarded the train, looking around for an empty compartment. Surprisingly, there weren't many. When she found one, she entered. Putting her stuff down, and setting her cloth-covered birdcage on the seat next to her, she got out a spell book. After a couple minutes of reading, another person poked his head in.

"Excuse me… Is there room here? Everywhere is mostly full."

"Oh! Sure!"

"Thanks." He took the seat across from Ara.

"My name is Pyron. Nice to meet you!"

"My name's Arathel."

"That's an odd name." They said, at exactly the same time.

"Well, usually people just call me Ara."

"Can I see your bird?"

"Sure! She isn't an owl, but the school let me bring her anyway." Ara whipped the cloth from the top of the cage.

"That's… That's a phoenix! How did you get that!"

"Um… A phoenix? I just found him in the forest one day. He was in a batch of coals."

"Wow… A real phoenix! Look in your "Care of Magical Creatures" book, near the back. It should say."

After a minute of rummaging, Ara came out of her trunk holding her book.

"Hmm… Ah! Here it is!" After reading for a few seconds, she said

"Definitely a phoenix. Wow. I never knew."

"What did you name her?"

"Uhh… actually, I haven't yet."

"Huh. You should soon."

"Yeah."

A few minutes of silence later, a girl poked her head in.

"Mind if I join ya?"

"No." They both said.

"Thanks. Hey, what kind of bird is that?"

"It's a phoenix."

"A… a phoenix! Wow. Oh, I'm Jamie, by the way."

"Pyron."

"Arathel."

A minute later, Ara said

"Anyone got some water? I'm really thirsty, and I forgot to bring anything to drink."

"Sure! Just a minute, now." This from Jamie. She dug a glass out of her pack.

"I'm afraid all I've got is water."

"Oh, that's fine. I have cocoa powder if anyone can warm it up."

"Sure!" said Pyron. "I think I'll take a glass too."

Jamie came up holding two more glasses. "Well, if there's chocolate involved, I think I will take a glass!" Then she took a blue orb from her pocket. It looked like water, except it could hold it's own shape. Then Jamie held it cupped in her hands. It began to squirt water, all by itself, into each of the three glasses in turn.

"How did you do that?"

"Magic."

"Right." Said Pyron. "Give them to me. I will warm them up."

He took one of the glasses and held it in the air. Then, after he had concentrated for a second, a small but extremely hot flame appeared in his hand. Ara flinched back, but Pyron just held it in his hand. After a minute, the water was boiling and he put out his flame.

"…Wow. Am I the only one here who hasn't figured out how to do magical stuff without my wand?"

"Yup. How about that cocoa, now?" At the mention of cocoa, Jamie finally snapped her mouth shut. "Mmm… chocolate…"

Ara added the powder to the glasses. "Well, I can still do magic, just not without my wand. Watch." She took out her wand, muttered something, and the water began stirring itself.

"Careful… Ok. Done."

"Thanks." They all said.

"So… Can either of you do anything else?" said Ara.

"Well, I can do pretty much anything with fire. Guess where the name comes from?"

"And I can do fun stuff with these orbs I made." Said Jamie. She rooted around in her trunk, and came up holding a wooden shield, a sword hilt, something that looked like a sword hilt without the guard, a bow with no quiver, and a whip handle. Each was inset with one of the water-spheres she had earlier.

"Sooo… What do they do?"

"Well, the sword hilt makes a water sword, the bow lets me shoot arrows forever, the whip handle makes a water whip, the weird handle thing makes a katana that I can make really long, and the shield makes a water shield."

"You like water, don't you?"

"Yup."

"How 'bout you, Pyron? Let's see what you can do."

"Sure." He summoned a small fire in his hand.

"This will just give off light. You can touch it, if you want." Ara waved her hand through the flame. It was quite cool. Then he began to make the flame brighter.

"I can make this blinding without it even giving off heat. Now back away…" He dimmed the flame into invisibility, the slowly began warming it up. Eventually, though it was still candle-sized, it was as hot as a bonfire.

"I can make this much, much hotter. Over 10,000 degrees. I can also do this." He cooled it down, then began to enlarge it. Eventually, it filled the compartment, but without heat.

"Now, the last things…" He shrank it again, then began to change its colors. As he did so, it started emitting sounds. At first they were regular fire sounds, but then he began concentrating, sculpting his symphony of fiery sounds and colors as a sculptor would a stone. Eventually, he stopped, and extinguished his flame. He was panting.

"Wow… How do you do that!"

In answer, he took out a pendant. It seemed to be glowing.

"I enchanted this. Took years."

"That little pendant…"

"Lets me control the flame, yes."

"That is amazing." Even Jamie was impressed.

"I have been working on something to let me move it around. Should be done pretty soon."

"Wow. You are really amazing."

"Thanks. Hey, it looks like we are arriving!"

"Really? I guess we are." Jamie was scrabbling to pack all of her weapons into her pack. After another minute, they left the train behind.


End file.
